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Andrew Hay Aerospace Engineering with German

Experimental investigations of the flow during the stage separation of a space transportation system. Andrew Hay Aerospace Engineering with German. Project Brief. The ELAC 1 and EOS configuration is a two-stage-to-orbit space transportation system

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Andrew Hay Aerospace Engineering with German

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  1. Experimental investigations of the flow during the stage separation of a space transportation system Andrew Hay Aerospace Engineering with German

  2. Project Brief • The ELAC 1 and EOS configuration is a two-stage-to-orbit space transportation system • Stage separation occurs at Mach number Ma = 6.8 and at an altitude of 31 km • Flow visualisation - Oil flow pattern and colour Schlieren photography • Static wall pressure measurement • Identify aerodynamic interaction effects

  3. Experimental Set-Up • 40cm x 40cm “Trisonic” Wind Tunnel • 1:150 scale EOS upper stage model and flat plate to simulate ELAC 1 lower stage • Test Parameters: • Freestream Mach number (Ma = 2.0 to 2.2) • Relative angle of attack (Δα = -5° to +10 °)

  4. Test Geometry • Relative separation distance also planned but not possible

  5. Flow Visualisation • Oil flow pattern - to visualise the near surface flow.Emulsion of oil and pigments move along wall shear stress flow lines. • Colour Schlieren photography - to visualise the shock system. Density gradients are made visible, because refraction index changes with density. Pressure Measurement • Pressure coefficient Cp calculated from difference between static wall pressure p and ambient pressure p0.

  6. Oil Flow Pattern • EOS bow shock impingement line on flat plate is visible • No shock induced boundary layer separation is visible • Reflected shock impingement line is not visible on EOS model

  7. Colour Schlieren • Observed shock system very weak • Shock geometry used with shock theory to calculate flow conditions • Disturbances from flat plate very visible

  8. Pressure Measurement • Shock impingement points visible (pressure increase) • Overall trend is a decrease in pressure downstream • Reason - 3D effects of the closed wind tunnel test section

  9. Results Discussion • No boundary layer separation observed - confirmed by Schlieren and comparison with experimental data. • Shock systems very weak - shock intensities very close to 1 • 3D effects of test section have a stronger influence on the pressure results than the shock system • Comparison of testing methods:All test methods consistent in providing location of shock impingement points. Schlieren is best for visualising system.

  10. Conclusions • Shock systems visible, but very weak at tested Mach numbers • No shock induced boundary layer separation observed • 3D effects of the closed test section had a significant influence on the results • Improved test set-up is required to enable testing at more parameter variables

  11. Experimental investigations of the flow during the stage separation of a space transportation system Andrew Hay Aerospace Engineering with German

  12. Shock Theory

  13. Shock induced BL Separation

  14. Shock Reflection

  15. Colour Schlierem Photo Ma = 2.0  = +5° h = 40mm

  16. Static Wall Pressure Measurement Ma = 2.0  = +5° h = 40mm

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